The use of video cassettes together with associated equipment such as video cassette recorders is growing in popularity. One type of cassette is used primarily by individuals to record programs directly from a television for replay at a later time, or alternatively is rented or purchased with a program or movie already prerecorded thereon. Another type of video cassette is used primarily for commercial purposes, and houses a magnetic tape having a three-quarter inch width format, which is wider than the half-inch tape format present in cassettes of the type used by individuals. It is desirable that these cassettes be shipped and stored in protective boxes or containers to prevent physical damage to the cassette during shipment, as well as to keep the cassette relatively dust-free during storage. It also is desirable that the tape reel hubs of these cassettes, and especially those of the larger tape format, be prevented from rotating during shipment caused by vibrations resulting from transport. Such rotation can cause the tape in the cassette to unwind from the hubs, often resulting in damage to the unwound portion of tape and loss of the information stored thereon.
Many of the cassette storage containers disclosed in the known prior art utilize one or more buttons or pins which engage drive holes formed in the tape reel hubs to prevent the hubs from rotating, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,876,071; 4,011,940; 4,054,206; 4,078,657; and 4,231,474. Although such containers limit the rotation of the hubs, some rotation is necessary for moving the drive holes into alignment with the retention pins. Thus, damage to the small portion of the tape which unwinds from such rotation can still occur. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,740 shows another cassette storage container in which a pin engages one of the drive holes in each of the tape reel hubs directly and immediately upon insertion of the cassette into the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,806 discloses a prior art cassette storage container in which ribs formed on a resilient arm engage teeth formed in the hub recess of a cassette to prevent rotation of the hub. U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,482 shows another prior art container having vertical fins attached to a projection which fit into grooves in the hub recess of a cassette. However, the containers shown in these prior art patents are not intended to prevent rotation of tape reel hubs which lack teeth or grooves.
Still other cassette containers disclosed in the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,593,814 and 4,614,269, utilize friction elements which engage the internal surface of the hub recess of a cassette to prevent rotation of the hub.
There is no storage container for video cassettes of which we are aware, other than our invention set forth below, which is inexpensive, rugged, and which prevents rotation and rattling of the cassette tape reel hubs, including those lacking teeth or grooves, and which also limits lateral movement of the cassette within the container, by use of a toggle mechanism.